We are remodling our kitchen and am putting undercabinet lights in. My question is do i put the lights so they can be dimmed or just turn on and off? I can do either or but want to do this one time only.

Just Bill

03-15-2012 07:04 AM

Incandescents, halogen, LED can be dimmed, most fluorescents can't.

user1007

03-15-2012 09:45 AM

See numerous other posts on this topic.

quincy

03-15-2012 10:40 AM

johnny,
Personally, i like LED.
Not sure if you can run low voltage circuit (braided wire) inside the wall or not though, expert in the forum can help in this regard.

ktkelly

03-15-2012 09:18 PM

If the LV wire is rated for in wall usage it's fine.

I agree with using LED lights for the application.

As an aside:

Some, but not all, fluorescents can be dimmed. Some, but not all, LEDs can be dimmed.

user1007

03-16-2012 08:13 AM

The only problem with LEDs is that they are not yet as bright as other forms of lighting. If the undercabinet lighting is for effect only, they would be a good choice. Among other things they are cool.

However, if you are expecting any sort of real lumen output for the purpose of task lighting I don't think they are yet the best choice for this. The day is coming for them or whatever next in their evolution.

CoconutPete

03-16-2012 09:30 AM

I just redid my kitchen and went with 2 LED bars. I never even thought of making them dimmable - but I like the way it came out and i haven't found myself saying "i wish i could dim them". They put out a decent amount of light - enough to work on the counter in the dark with no other lights if you really wanted to, but also significantly less than the ceiling lights which is nice for just leaving on at night.